Dare County Sheriff's Office arrests drug suspect during traffic stop

On August 25, 2024, at approximately 5:45 p.m., officers with the Dare County Sheriff's Office, B-District, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling on Highway 64 west of the Midway Intersection. The vehicle was initially stopped for speeding in a designated work zone.

During the stop, a Dare County Sheriff's Office sniffer dog was deployed. The sniffer dog alerted officers to the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle. Following the alert, the vehicle was searched, resulting in the seizure and confiscation of psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and related paraphernalia.

The driver of the vehicle, Kyle Orville Laviana, 28, of West Suffield, Connecticut, was arrested and charged with possession of a Schedule I controlled substance. Laviana was also charged with speeding and possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. He was held on $4,000 bail.

The Dare County Sheriff's Office remains committed to public safety and will continue to crack down on illegal drug activity in the community. The department encourages anyone with information regarding illegal substances or other criminal activity to contact local law enforcement or contact the Dare County Sheriff's Office at 252-475-5980 or the Dare County Communications Center at 252-473-3444.